100 Things About Me as a Runner

So, I got myself back to running. Ran 3 times this week. The first two were not pretty but today I got up and went to the rec center at 6 am and ran 3 miles.  I took 2 one-minute walk breaks but it was a good run.  I do not think of myself as a runner and can't imagine ever thinking of myself as a runner. I've been thinking about all the times I told kids they were readers and believed it completely but they did not believe it about themselves.

A couple of years ago, as a way to begin conversations around reader identity and to help kids begin to see themselves as readers I did a thing called 100 Things About Me as a Reader. We worked to create lists about ourselves as readers--lists that I knew would change and grow over time.  I did this activity, not so students would think about 100 things about themselves, but they would begin to see that they WERE readers and that all readers were different. I wanted them to begin to identify as a reader. I also hoped that they would begin to pay attention to things others shared about themselves and those things would give them new ways to think of themselves and to come to know their identity as a reader.

So, I decided that to build my own identity as a runner, I'd start my own list of 100 Things About Me as a Runner. There, just writing that makes me at least CALL myself a runner, even if I don't feel like one. I am going to start the list today and add to it over the next several weeks and months.  I am hoping other runners will join in the fun and post their own lists of things about themselves as a runner. (The 100 was originally put as the number because I didn't want anyone in the class to say, "I'm finished". I wanted this to be something they thought about long-term. So, nothing important about how many items on the list.  Here goes--

1. I like to run on the treadmill (inside) FAR better than I like to run outside.
2. I need to understand things about running and the running community so reading books and blog help me.
3.  I started running in January.I've started Couch -5K programs before but never got past the first few weeks.
4. I am better at sticking to running this time because I focused on a 5K rather than on weight loss.
5. I am not competitive but I am goal oriented so I like to meet my own goals.
6. I like to listen to music only when the run is not killer hard or I have to pay attention to too many other things.
7.  I wear Mizuno running shoes but want to try a new kind soon.
8.  My best runs are when I am wearing Lululemon running pants.
9. I had no idea my ankles could sweat but it seems they can when I am running.
10. I cannot run in shorts--until I lose weight in my thighs, I can't imagine ever running in shorts.
11.  If I run in the morning, I like/need to take an afternoon nap.
12. I like anything that makes running amusing--Color Run, Sparkle Skirts, my Run Happy t-shirt, my Run Fast socks.
13.  I ran 2 miles once in college but have no run more than a few minutes at a time until now.
14.  I hate even the smallest of hills.
15.  I have plantar faciitis but it seems to be doing okay with 3 runs per week.
16. I run 3 times a week. I try to make one of those runs a longer run than the other 2.
17. The smartest thing I've done as a runner was to hire running coach, Tonia.
18.  I wear my hair in a crazy ponytail on top of my head, Pebbles-style, when I run. It is the only way it stays out of my face.  It looks ridiculous. As soon as it grows a bit more, I am hoping to move to Sparkly Soul headbands exclusively.
19. I like to run in long t-shirts.
20.  I need to carry tissues when I run.
21.  My favorite treadmills are the ones with the fans.
22.  I enjoyed the indoor track at the beginning but HATE it for running more than a few minutes at a time. I now understand why people hate running in circles.
23.  I do not enjoy running. Of my 5 months of running, I have had 3-4 good runs.
24.  My mother has promised me a new Team Sparkle skirt for every race I run.
25.  I did not enjoy Race for the Cure. Except for the part that I got to hang out with my friends. And of course, my skirt.
26.  I like to run alone.
27.  Once I ran in the morning and enjoyed the morning sounds of the birds. That is not something that has happened again.
28. I run VERY slowly and probably always will.
29.  I have gotten over my fear of running in the neighborhood. I figure if I blog about it, I should be able to handle my neighbors seeing me run past their houses.
30.  I am registered for the Color Run.
31. I am not sure how I can possibly keep this up for years. Running is hard....
32.  I wish I could run in hats but I can't. It is just one more thing to think about--having it stay on my head.
33.  I started running at 30 seconds every 2 1/2 minutes. Even on bad run days now, remembering that helps me continue.
34.  I'd rather run when it is a little bit cold than when it is a little bit warm.
35.  My dog is too little to run with me. I can see the fun in running with a big dog that you liked.
36.  I like to shop for running clothes.
37. I like to wear running clothes all the time when I am at home. They are extremely comfy.
38.  I cannot run before I have had something to eat in the morning.

That's it for now!  If you'd like to join in this fun, share 100 Things About You as a Runner on your blog and link here in the comments. Or, you can do a guest post here on this blog.  I'd love to see what others say and I think it will help me expand the things I know about myself.

Have a happy running day:-)